Sole for footwear with an improved aeration system

ABSTRACT

A sole for footwear provided with an aeration system to permit the fresh air to reach the entire lower foot surface of the user, is described. Accordingly, a perforated portion ( 5 ) has been provided in the bridge area which on its inner face is in fluid connection with the sole and heel areas, where a circuit has been formed for air flow, thanks to recesses or notches ( 4,5 ) made in the respective economisers ( 2,3 ). An internal housing permits the arrangement of a Goretex plate intended to allow moisture circulation in a single direction, from inside to outside.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention refers to a sole for footwear with animproved aeration system, contributing basic novel features andimportant benefits with respect to known soles used for the samepurposes in the current state of the art.

[0002] More specifically, the invention proposes the development of asole provided with a system allowing an effective aeration andtranspiration of the user's feet, thanks to a predetermined perforatedarea which, according to the invention, will be located in the part ofthe sole bridge, preventing possible contact with the ground, whichcould soil or block the holes, through which the exchange between insideand outside of the footwear and the external space is produced and fromwhere (and towards) the exchanged air circulates (returns)longitudinally, in both directions, until the heel and sole areas,thanks to the specific shapes adopted by the internal economisers.

[0003] The field of application of the invention obviously includes thefootwear manufacturing industry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is known that in fact the use of closed footwear almost alwaysinvolves excessive sweating of the user's feet, a permanent source ofannoyance, smells and sometimes other problems of foot health. To solvethis type of problem, footwear manufacturers are making considerableefforts tending to provide better materials and, whenever possible,means facilitating improved aeration of the feet, maintaining themfresher and in conditions preventing extra sweating.

[0005] According to a known embodiment in the state of the art, a solemay incorporate passing holes distributed throughout the sole, in thespaces existing between the protruding formations usually given tosoles, and through which an exchange of air from inside to outside ispossible, hence obtaining freshening of at least this area andtherefore, improving the footwear use conditions. However, thisembodiment also involves other practical problems, since, although ingeneral they do not come into contact with the ground, due to theformation protruding from the sole bottom, the truth is that when theyretain dirt or are blocked for some reason, it is very difficult toclean them, precisely due to the fact that the areas in which they arelocated are generally narrow, not permitting easy access. Moreover, aswill be understood, there are many other drawbacks also derived from thefact that the sole area in which they are located is that supporting thegreatest pressure from the user's foot, especially when he is moving, sothat this fact also hinders the entrance of air. Anyway, the executionof holes in the sole bottom area only provides local aeration and notthe entire lower surface of the foot.

[0006] According to the above, the present invention has been proposedto develop a sole for footwear, permitting currently existing problemsto be solved. This object has been reached with a sole, which in apredetermined area, corresponding to the bridge, is intended to beperforated with a plurality of passing holes. This offers the benefitthat on normally being an elevated area between the sole bottom and theheel, it is never in continuous contact with the ground, so that it isdifficult that the holes are directly accessible to dirt and otherelements. Anyway, as it is generally a smooth surface in most classes offootwear existing, possible dirt that may be introduced in the holes ofthe perforated area, may be easily removed. Moreover, according to theinvention, along the inside face of the sole and matching the perforatedarea, the arrangement of a protection plate of goretex may be foreseenor of any other conventional material, so that according to itscharacteristics of permitting passage in a single direction internalsweat may leave whilst the entry of external humidity is prevented.

[0007] It is an advantage that the sole of the invention providescomplete aeration of the entire lower surface of the feet. For thispurpose, from the perforated exchange area made in the sole bridge, acircuit and passage has been made which extends longitudinally towardsboth adjacent areas of the sole bottom and heel. This circuit isobtained by the execution of numerous recesses and notches, like steppedadvantages, in each one of the sole economisers. In fact, according tothe preferable embodiment, the sole economisers are extended in atransverse and parallel sense to each other, arranging these recesses indetermined positions, through which air passage is permitted in bothdirections with the own movement of the user's feet. In this simple way,an effective, practical and easy solution has been given to the problemcurrently existing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] These and other features and advantages of the invention may beunderstood more easily from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment, given exclusively as an illustrative andnon-limiting example, referring to the attached drawings wherein;

[0009]FIG. 1 shows an upper plan schematic view of a sole constructed inaccordance with the present invention, and

[0010]FIG. 2 show another lower plan schematic view of the same sole asthat shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] The detailed description of the preferred embodiment of thisinvention will be described, as has already been mentioned, taking as areference the attached drawings, in which the same numerical referencesare used to designate equal or similar parts. Firstly, observing FIG. 1,an upper plan view of a sole of the invention may be seen generallyindicated with the reference number 1 and whose general configurationcorresponds to that of any known sole. Conventionally, the sole hasdistributed throughout its inside space, numerous economisingcomponents, generally indicated with reference numbers 2 and 3, extendedtransversely and which in the sole bottom area consists of parallelundulated shapes whilst in the heel area, they are rectilinear shapes,also parallel and crossed by other shapes, likewise parallel andextended in a longitudinal direction. Anyway, all these economisercomponents have recesses or notches 4,5′, in different positions,several of these notches corresponding to each economiser component.

[0012] Different to the front areas, the bridge has an area 5 withpredetermined dimensions, that in general may adopt any shape consideredrelevant and in which passing holes 6 have been made, distributed overthe surface of said area, these holes being precisely the ones entrustedwith letting air circulate between the inside space and the outersurroundings. The mentioned area 5, may be surrounded, if desired, by anelevated protruding shape, closed over itself, as indicated by referencenumber 7, by means of which a housing is provided for the final fittingof a goretex plate, as previously explained, which may be fixed withadhesive or any other conventional means, making it possible formoisture to circulate only in one direction, that is, from inside tooutside.

[0013] Along the lower surface of the sole, as may be appreciated inFIG. 2 of the drawings, area 5 where the passing holes 6 aredistributed, has no limit whatsoever and the bridge area is generallysmooth. This circumstance favours the cleaning of said holes if dirtenters them and could even block them.

[0014] The arrangement of the holes 6 in the bridge area and theircommunication with the entire surface of the sole bottom and heel areas,thanks to the recesses 4, 5′ made in the internal economisers permitsthe distribution of air throughout all the sole and the freshening ofall the lower surface of the user's foot. The movement of the footitself and the bending of the sole, pushes the air longitudinally inboth directions, as indicated by the arrows shown on some of thementioned recesses 4, 5′, as well as in a transverse direction in theheel area, as also shown with other arrows. Therefore, aeration iscomplete, preventing the drawbacks already indicated and the feeling ofcomfort and freshness for the user is considerably increased.

[0015]FIG. 2 also shows other holes 8 made in determined positions ofthe sole, in the narrow channels left between protruding shapes 9 of thetype, mostly used in footwear soles. This representation of holes 8corresponds to that known in the state of the art and has only beencarried out to illustrate the previous comments, that is, to understandhe comparative difficulty existing with the conventional art, comparedwith this invention. In fact, the position of the holes 8, in generalaffecting all the sole bottom area, only permits local aeration,hindered by the pressure of the front itself and therefore an incompletesolution for existing problems, besides the difficult cleaning,intrinsic to their location. However, the arrangement of holes in thebridge area, sufficiently separated from the soles and with a smoothoutside surface, together with he easy of air circulation throughout thetotal inside space of the sole, thanks to the recesses or notches 4,5′,allows the aeration problems of the user's feet to be efficientlysolved, meaning a more comfortable and beneficial use of the soleconstructed according to the teachings of the present invention.

1. A sole for footwear, provided with an improved aeration system,applicable to any type of footwear, by which an air exchange is providedbetween the inside space and the surroundings, facilitating the aerationof the total lower surface of the user's feet, characterised in thatsaid sole has an area (5) with predetermined dimensions, located in thearea of the sole bridge, in which a plurality of passing holes (6) havebeen made, so that along the outside fall, the portion (5) has a smoothsurface as a continuation of the rest of the area, hence allowing easycleaning and maintenance of the holes in case of blockage or picking updirt, while a protruding wall (7) has been foreseen along the insideface, surrounding said area (5), closed over itself and in fluidcommunication with an air circulation passage from and towards saidperforated area (5), said air circulation passage comprising a pluralityof recesses (4,5′) respectively carried out in the economisers (2,3) ofthe sole bottom and heel areas.
 2. A sole in accordance with claim 1,characterised in that the housing formed by said protruding wall (7)permits the housing of a Goretex or similar plate inside it, to allowthe passage of moisture in one direction only, from inside to outside,it being possible for said plate to be fixed in said position with anadhesive or similar product.